Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: Overseas Spectators Banned From Tokyo Olympics / “Eye to Eye” Organization for Learning Disability

【Overseas Spectators Banned From Tokyo Olympics】

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of problems for the Tokyo Olympics. It’s already been postponed since 2020, and the Olympic Organizing Committee just announced that spectators and fans from other countries will not be allowed. What!? Does that mean I can’t support my favorite national teams and cheer for them in person? Umm.. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case here. People who already bought tickets will get a full refund, but it's not clear yet how many people from Japan will be able to attend the Games. The reason for the new restriction, according to the International Olympic Committee, is that the worldwide COVID-19 situation is still very challenging and that international travel is still severely restricted.

The decision to delay the Games has already taken a toll on some athletes, though others are grateful for the extra training time. Olympic fencer, Ryo Miyake, took up a new job last year, delivering food for Uber Eats to make extra cash and stay in shape during the pandemic. On the other hand, sport climber Akiyo Noguchi was happy to have an extra year of practice. She was planning to retire after the 2020 Tokyo Games when sport climbing was supposed to make its Olympic debut. However, she has pushed back her retirement by one year in order to make the Olympics the last competition of her career.

For Japan, tens of billions of dollars are at stake for Japanese national pride. But for athletes, a lifetime of dedication hangs in balance, as does their mental well-being.


【“Eye to Eye” Organization for Learning Disability】

When COVID-19 hit, many charities and non-profit organizations in America faced difficulty operating and providing support in the midst of the pandemic, one of the challenges was “how to continue helping people when in-person interactions are limited?” A nonprofit organization called “Eye to Eye” dedicated to supporting students’ with learning and attention difficulty went virtual, yes, online, like many other schools out there. David Flink, the founder of the organization, discovered his ADHD symptoms when he was in elementary school, and since then, his school days had not been a happy memory.

[I remember, fondly, really loving school, and that feeling ended probably first or second grade. I didn't know that I have dyslexia. And I could either be the dumb kid or I could be the bad kid. Instead of sitting there and feeling dumb, I just started acting out. At one point, literally, my desk was moved to the hallway.]

After attaining his graduate degree in education from Colombia University, Flink embarked on a mission to help make schools better for kids. Statistics show that 50 percent of students in high school, if faced with learning disabilities, end up in the juvenile justice system, which means they would go to jail for teenagers, that’s why David Flink felt he had the responsibility to give back to the society. Eye to Eye provides a safe space that's constructed around what's right for kids so they can talk about their experiences, the organization uses art as a way to help facilitate conversation for children.

[I want them to know that their brains are beautiful. I want them to leave feeling like they know how to ask for what they need and that they can do it, and that's what we give them.]

Check out today’s CNN10 video to find out more.


Sentence of the day:

The decision to delay the Games has already taken a toll on some athletes, though others are grateful for the extra training time.


Vocabulary:

1. decision
a choice that you make; what you decide

Ex: The company will reach/come to/make a decision on whether to go public shortly.


2. take a toll on
to cause suffering, deaths, or damage.

Ex: The problems of the past few months have taken their toll on her health.

3. grateful
showing or expressing thanks, especially to another person

Ex: After the earthquake we felt grateful to be alive.


Alright and that’s all the time we have for today.
Although it’s a pity that we can’t go support our favorite teams in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
But I’m sure everyone’s gonna watch it online and cheer anyways.
April Fools day is coming up, make sure you get extra suspicious when you’re offered some oreos, ‘cos you might have to brush your teeth afterwards.
This is Ken Miao and I’ll see you guys again next week. Bye!

Thanks, Ken. Have a good one, everyone.

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